


Synchronicity

by equandt



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Carson has a breakdown, Elizabeth throws hands, Everyone's annoyed, F/M, Romance, ~Someone's~ gonna catch a cold...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:07:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28978620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/equandt/pseuds/equandt
Summary: Carson wasn't the only one John brought to the mainland for a detox...a reimagining ofIrresistible.
Relationships: John Sheppard/Elizabeth Weir
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	Synchronicity

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! I finished this about a month ago but figured it would be a good one to save for today. 
> 
> This is meant to be part of a series starting with _Wildfire_ but is definitely not supposed to be the next one in the sequence 😆 However, given the fact that I'm terribly slow with writing and seem to have an inability to write stories in order, I will post them as I finish rather than let them sit in my files potentially for months (patience is not one of my strong suits...)
> 
> A big thank you to Quibilah for helping me with one of the most important lines when my mind hit a wall 😅

*

Well, this was certainly not a mission that John had ever anticipated.

He may have even found some amusement in its sheer absurdity, had he not been fuming — and had that small tinge of fear not taken hold. That conniving bastard had gotten hold of McKay now, endangered the rest of his team, and was getting far too close to Elizabeth for his liking — he had finally snapped.

It would be some time before Carson regained consciousness but every second counted — he had to find her, and he had a good idea of where she was — Lucius seemed to have an insatiable appetite, and she seemed all too eager to comply with his demands. At least she was just bringing him food at the moment — John quickened his pace as fury coursed through him at the thought of her satiating Lucius’ other appetites…

He entered the mess hall, thanking his luck that it was empty (Lucius probably had reeled the rest of the city in for another story hour somewhere) — except for one person. He heard the click of a refrigerator door and made his way into the kitchen area, seeing a familiar red shirt, dark brown hair above it. Elizabeth’s back was to him, as she concentrated on putting together a large sandwich.

She didn’t apparently hear him, so he cleared his throat — at that she turned. Her eyes widened, lighting up at the sight of him; she flashed him a wide smile. Normally a sight he loved more than anything else, but he felt a bitterness, knowing her light mood was caused by the herb’s influence.

“John!” she exclaimed rather breathlessly, hurriedly stacking the rest of the sandwich together and pressing down with more force than necessary — copious amounts of mustard spilled out the sides. She picked up the plate and turned again to face him. “I was just about to bring this to Lucius — that man just can’t seem to get enough to eat. I hope you’re feeling better — in fact, why don’t you come with me? We can all talk and you’ll see exactly how valuable he’ll be as an ally. He really has a world of useful experience…”

John tilted his head a bit, returning her beaming smile with a rather wry one and said lightly, “You know what? I’ve had some time to think and you’re right — I definitely haven’t given him a fair chance. I’d be happy to come with you and see what he has to offer.”

She somehow managed an even wider smile. “I _knew_ you’d come around — trust me, you’ll love him. Let’s go.” She brushed by him, squeezing his upper arm briefly and he started to follow, stomach squirming unpleasantly at what he had to do.

“Hold on a second,” he called and as she turned to face him again, he closed the short distance between them, pulling the stunner from his inside pocket and hitting her with a blast. Her eyes widened in momentary shock, before she started to collapse. Quickly he grabbed her, lifting her into his arms as the plate clattered to the floor. Praying that he’d meet no one en route to the Jumper Bay, he started walking as fast as he could go in that direction.

He got lucky again, running into no one, quickly finding the Jumper where he’d stashed Carson on one of the rear seats. He sat Elizabeth in the front passenger seat where he could keep an eye on her, relieved to set her down as his arms had begun to ache, carefully adjusting her head to a comfortable position. Still moving calmly but quickly he sat down and activated the ship, lifting off once the Bay doors had mostly slid open. He flew out into the brilliant afternoon, the ocean waters sparkling below in the sun,

 _“Jumper three this is flight — identify yourself!”_

“Sure McKay,” John said sarcastically to the stern voice over the radio. “Oh, and thanks _so_ much for your help,” he added irritably, accelerating the ship in the direction of the mainland.

*

It was ten minutes into the journey that Carson regained consciousness, confusion quickly giving way to anger (if “angry” could ever be used to describe Carson…), followed by Elizabeth about five minutes later, who was considerably less amicable.

“Sit _down_ Elizabeth,” John growled through gritted teeth, pointedly concentrating on the HUD.

“Not until you turn this ship around,” she seethed, leaning over the back of the passenger seat and fixing him with a furious expression. “You are _so_ far out of line, John, you’ll be lucky if I don’t recommend court martial when we get back!”

“A little extreme, don’t you think?” he replied coolly, but there was a pang in his stomach — she had hit a nerve, his past transgressions coming back to haunt him.

“Oh I don’t know, stealing a Jumper, kidnapping your commander and the chief medical officer — yeah, I’d say that’s pretty good grounds for it,” she snapped. “Besides that, I need to get back to Lucius…” Her face rapidly shifted to a frantic, worried expression. “It’ll be time for dinner in three hours, and I promised him I‘d make his favorite…”

“He needs me just as much!” Carson shouted over her, eyes screwing up as if he was fighting back tears; seeing his vulnerable state Elizabeth moved over to him, placing a comforting arm around his shoulders while John rolled his eyes and urged the Jumper on…just ten minutes and they’d be on the mainland… 

*

After what felt like far too much time, the lush tree line of the mainland came into view, John pushing the ship into a gentle descent and landing in a wide clearing. He switched off the power, after opening the back hatch to let in some fresh air, then pulled Rodney’s tablet out of his bag and powered it on.

“All right Carson, this is your time to shine.” John focused on the tablet, pulling up the research Rodney had been doing on the serum.

“What?” asked Carson in a voice tinged with distress, lifting his head from his hands, which he’d been pressing to his forehead as though to relieve an ache. Elizabeth was quiet now, sitting in the chair opposite the doctor with her arms crossed and a stony expression; John guessed she was feeling at least as ill as Carson but, in true Dr. Weir fashion, remained stoic.

He turned to the both of them, starting to explain. “You probably don’t realize this right now, but what you’re going through is some sort of withdrawal. According to the research Rodney was doing before he joined the Lucius fan club, that serum he’s been taking contains a chemical that reacts with the body to secrete a sort of pheromone. Which makes one — easy to influence…”

“Literally — an addictive personality?” Carson asked, weakly incredulous, and John nodded.

“It’s rubbish!”

“I don’t believe it!” Elizabeth spoke for the first time since they’d landed, crossing her arms even tighter and fixing John with a death glare. “If that’s true, then why weren’t you affected?”

“Well, my cold — I’ve barely been able to breathe — and see for yourself,” he added, showing her the tablet screen. She just continued to gaze ahead, refusing to acknowledge it, and he gave up, rolling his eyes as he passed the tablet to Carson. But the doctor paid it about as much attention as Elizabeth did, more focused on his own agony. 

“John,” Elizabeth spoke up in a voice of deadly calm, fixing him with a withering gaze. “I am ordering you to get this Jumper off the ground and fly us back to the city.”

“Not before Carson has figured out a cure,” he responded shortly, staring back at her steadily.

“John,” she said again, ice in her voice. “I shouldn’t have to ask twice.”

“Sorry,” he replied dryly, turning away to study the tablet again, as Carson was clearly in no state to focus on it yet. 

Elizabeth roughly pushed herself out of the chair, striding over to him and standing close to his shoulder; when he ignored her, she made to grab the tablet and he snatched it away hurriedly. 

“Take us back,” she demanded coolly.

“Elizabeth, I think you should sit down—“

“Take us back NOW!” she yelled, grabbing his arm viciously; he got hold of her other wrist before she could do anything else, eyes locking with hers in an unwavering gaze.

“Do you really want to do this in front of Carson?” he asked quietly. When she continued to glare back, not loosening her hold, he moved his hand to loosen her grip on him, before he firmly took hold of her upper arm. ”Come on — let’s go outside. Carson, you stay in here and get to work on that antidote.”

“No!” Elizabeth protested, trying to break free but his hold was strong and she had no choice but to follow him out of the ship, into the clearing where they’d landed.

“Let go, John!” she hissed and he complied once they were a safe distance from the Jumper. She was breathing heavily, eyes squinting tightly against the soft sunlight; undeniably she had a headache like Carson but was in fight mode, and barely noticed. 

“Now let’s just take some time out here to relax and think — trust me, I wouldn’t have taken you from the city without good reason…”

“And what reason would that be?” she demanded. “I don’t know _why_ it is you dislike Lucius so much, but to go this far to try to discredit him…”

“Do you _really_ believe that?” he cut in angrily. “That I’m doing all this just to get back at him? What _I_ don’t understand is how you’re letting him walk all over you.” Perhaps a blow to her pride would help shake her out of this altered state of mind. “The Elizabeth Weir I know would never allow that…”

“And _I_ don’t know why you refuse to give him a chance!” she was shouting, hair falling in her eyes and it would’ve been almost amusing if John wasn’t feeling so done with the whole situation. She seemed to gain momentary control, continuing more calmly, “Lucius is a good man, John, and I don’t know why you refuse to see it — so kind to his people, so innovative. Easy on the eyes too…” she added, staring off into the distance. He fixed her with an incredulous look. 

_“Him!?”_ he yelled in disbelief.

“What are you, jealous?” she challenged back. “If you actually took the time to get to know him, he could teach _you_ a thing or two.” John scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“So…you find him more attractive than me?” he asked snidely, not sure why he was pushing this further.

“You? Pfft, please, you look like every guy on this base…Lucius just has such a…such…” Her hands gesticulated as she tried to find the words. “… _unique_ features…”

“Yeah, that’s one way to put it,” John snarked. “and now you’re _way_ outta line,” he added, subconsciously bringing a hand to his hair as though to further perfect it. “C’mon, I think you should sit down and chill out…”

“NO!” she shouted furiously as he tried to gently take her arm, decking him in the chest with both hands; he staggered back, startled by the force of her blow. Complete irritation took over and he tried to grab her again but she clocked him again, dropping down to a fighting stance, eyes blazing. 

“Been doing some training with Teyla, huh?” he growled, making a move forward but dodging her as she tried to throw another punch, which narrowly missed his jaw — he was ready for the fourth attempt though and grabbed her upper arms, pinning them to her sides while he tried to wrap his arms around her and get a better hold. She snarled and kicked him hard in the shin; his knee buckled above the sharp pain and they fell heavily.

“Are you fucking kidding me!” 

He was holding her as tight as he could and she was still fighting furiously to get free, shouting the whole time. With a great effort he rolled her over so now she was pinned to the ground; he was absolutely disturbed at this point by how much the herb had affected her. Panic started to rise in him, as he was unsure of how he was going to calm her down without having to stun her again — then operating on pure instinct, he brought a hand to the side of her face, keeping her still as he kissed her, hard.

Her eyes widened wildly for a moment but, incredibly, she started to relax; then she was kissing him back just as fiercely, hands raking through his hair.

He held her there for as long as he could, as though worried she’d revert back to her aggressive state as soon as he broke the kiss, but lack of oxygen forced him to break away, gently biting her lower lip as he did so. She forcefully yanked his head down again, crushing his lips to hers; he was getting caught up in the heat of the moment, one hand sliding down to massage her breast and his pants starting to become uncomfortably tight against his arousal…he was just thinking he’d unzip the fly when…

“Colonel Sheppard? Elizabeth?”

He froze, then shot up as though he’d received an electric shock; below him she was rolling away as quickly as she could, frantically running a hand through her hair in vain attempt to smooth it out. John cursed under his breath, rolling his eyes as the doctor continued.

“Ah — is everything all right out there? I heard shoutin’—“

“I told you to stay in the Jumper, Beckett!” John snarled out, shaking dirt from his hair, all too aware of the tent in his pants and deliberately keeping his back to the medical doctor.

Elizabeth was still sitting and breathing heavily; composing himself, he dropped his gaze to her warily and miraculously she remained calm, though obviously flustered. She was avoiding his eyes, even when he moved to stand in front of her, offering a hand to help her up. She refused to take it.

“C’mon Elizabeth,” he said in exasperation, bending down to gently take her hand. She didn’t try to pull away, and reluctantly she gripped back and allowed him to help her up.

“Feel better now?” he asked wryly. She gave him a quick glare but stayed silent. “C’mon, we’d better get back to the Jumper. I think Carson _needs_ us…” He started to lead her in its direction and though she was obviously still irritated she followed without protest, keeping her fingers around his.

Their feet clattering against the ramp, John greeted Carson in a slightly over-cheerful voice, “Carson, buddy! You feelin’ any better?”

“Maybe you should kiss him too,” Elizabeth snarked so only he could hear, and John half turned his head towards her; though she couldn’t fully see his face she knew his exact expression and she smirked.

“Aye, I’m sure I will be — once I get back to Lucius!” Carson answered irritably; John dropped his head back, rolling his eyes heavenward as though wondering what he’d ever done in his life to deserve this.

“Yup, you should _definitely_ kiss him,” Elizabeth hissed in his ear, giving him pat on the shoulder that was more like a smack as she moved from behind him to the front of the Jumper — his feeling of annoyance was short-lived as he realized —

“So Elizabeth, it’s probably time for us to head back so you can prepare dinner for Lucius, huh?”

“That guy?” she answered sharply, brows furrowing in slight irritation. “The mess hall is open, he can get it for himself — in fact, why is he still in the city?” she found herself asking in alarm, turning to him then glaring at the mild amusement, mixed with relief that was on his face.

“I can’t believe it worked,” he said quietly to himself, and couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped, turning away slightly as she glowered at him.

“That _what_ worked? This isn’t funny John, we still don’t know anything about this man and he could be a security risk — in fact, why am _I_ here?” she demanded angrily. “I’m ordering you to take me back to the city!”

“We’ll leave soon enough…it’s just that Carson hasn’t been feeling well, and I thought a trip to the mainland would help him out — ya know, trees…fresh air…” Her expression was growing darker but he chose to ignore it.

“Help me out — don’t be ridiculous, son!” Carson’s anguished voice came from the back of the Jumper; he was lying flat out on his back, hands over his face and acting as though he was in the throes of death. “Lucius needs me, and I’d rather die than leave him…”

Elizabeth’s expression was incredulous as she stared towards the voice, brow furrowing, and it was as though the situation finally dawned upon her, that she had fully wakened from a dream. She looked to John, finally understanding.

“Yeah…” he just said heavily with a weary expression, taking a seat in the control chair.

*

Now that Elizabeth had fully come to her senses, John again ran through the research Rodney had been working on, while they waited for Carson to recover. She was still agitated about not being able to return to Atlantis immediately, but recognized the importance of keeping Carson away for a little while longer.

“So that makes sense…” she said slowly, a mischievous grin pulling at the corners of her mouth.

“Huh?”

She turned to face him, a smirk on her face though her eyes were soft. “I recovered when you kissed me. Those pheromones must have been strong enough to cancel his out…”

He was silent for a moment, then replied, “Well obviously — that was my plan all along,” with a small grin, and she chuckled softly. 

They shared a long glance; he could see some guilt in her eyes as she was clearly recalling her behavior over the past few hours, and she had opened her mouth to speak when Carson’s voice cut in.

“Colonel Sheppard?” he said tentatively, peering with hesitation around the doorframe from the back of the Jumper. “Dr. Weir…?” he added as he caught sight of her. “What am I doin’ here? Ugh…” he groaned, pinching the sides of his nose bridge in attempt to chase off the lingering headache.

“Heyyy Carson,” John greeted amiably, standing up and making his way over to the doctor. “You back with us? I’ve got a project for ya…” He pushed Rodney’s tablet into Carson’s hands; the doctor took it with a look of mild bewilderment. “How about you work on finding a way to develop an antidote to the serum Lucius is taking?” He studied Carson’s face with some nervousness, hoping that the doctor had truly come to his senses. 

“What’s that about?” Carson asked in confusion, lifting his hand from his forehead. “Lucius…oh…” His eyes widened, as he was seemingly struck by a realization. “Right, let me have that son…thank you,” he said briskly, taking the tablet from John, who felt a wave of relief wash over him. He glanced quickly at Elizabeth, who wore a small, satisfied smile. Carson regarded the screen with intense concentration, brow furrowing slightly as he read.

“So we just need to neutralize this chemical that activates the pheromones — that’s fairly basic chemistry, shouldn’t be too difficult for me to figure out, just give me a wee bit of time to understand its composition — actually, you said his people were getting sick?” Carson said in mild alarm, gaze shifting between the other two. “…and now he’s affecting everyone in Atlantis?”

“Exactly,” John replied.

“Well we have to get back! Who knows what shenanigans he could he gettin’ into while we’re out here — look, this should be a simple job, I’ll probably have an antidote sorted out by the time we get back to the city…in fact…” His eyes were on the screen again, and they lit up as though he’d made a connection; he continued to stare at it in deep concentration as his mind worked quickly. 

“Carson’s right — we need to leave,” Elizabeth said immediately, turning her eyes to John; though she didn’t outwardly show it, her anxiety had been mounting and she’d been impatient to leave for the last hour.

“Right — I’m more than ready,” John said in relief, turning to make his way to the control chair when a low hum filed his ears, followed by a strong breeze emanating from the back hatch, which was still open. Something that sounded suspiciously like another Jumper…his momentary confusion quickly shifted to dismay as he caught Elizabeth’s eyes, which had widened in horror as she realized what was happening. He ran for the chair, about to close the hatch but too late — there was a heavy clatter of feet and three familiar faces greeted him. Teyla, Ronon, and Rodney had all boarded the ship, Ronon at the fore with his gun pointed straight at John.

“Not so fast,” he growled, his eyes a calm threat.

“You have that thing set to stun, right?” John asked, turning with hands up in mock surrender.

“That’s right,” grunted Ronon, cocking the gun threateningly as John stepped ever so slightly closer, standing just inches away. 

“Good then —“ John made to grab the weapon from Ronon’s hands, but not before a blast slammed into his chest, crumpling him to the floor where he lay, out cold. Elizabeth’s eyes were wide in mild horror but she quickly shifted her expression to one of relief as Teyla approached her, gently laying a hand on her forearm.

“Are you all right?” the Athosian asked in quiet concern.

“Yes,” Elizabeth answered somewhat breathlessly, attempting a smile. “Thank god you found us — I don’t know how long John was planning on keeping us away from Lucius — how is he?” she feigned worry. “Is he all right? We’ve been so worried…”

“He is well, but we should return to him as soon as we can — he has been asking for you especially,” Teyla answered with a gentle smile, moving to let Rodney pass so he could sit in the control chair. “Fortunately it is not a long journey to the city…” Rodney activated the ship, closing the hatch and they lifted off.

“Good,” Elizabeth breathed with the ghost of a smile, stealing a glance at John, who was still lying on the ship’s floor. She turned to Ronon. “Ronon, could you please move Colonel Sheppard to one of the rear benches? Thank you…”

They flew off into the darkening sky; after a half hour the radiant lights of Atlantis greeted them as they flew towards the Jumper Bay.

*

They touched down in the Bay, the hum of the Jumper falling silent as Rodney cut the power. John had revived about halfway through the journey and was flanked by Teyla and Ronon, the latter keeping him at bay with his stunner. He hadn’t fought them at all, simply sitting in brooding silence and had managed to steal one covert glance towards Elizabeth, her steady gaze reassuring him that she’d see his plan through. 

Teyla and Ronon pushed him to his feet, still keeping hold on either side as they disembarked, Carson and Elizabeth following behind.

“Oh you got him, excellent job, people,” came that nasally, abrasive voice; Lucius marching to stand in front of John in the Bay. “I’ll have you know you’re in big trouble Sheppard, big trouble…I command you take him to the Brig…”

“I don’t think you’re in a position to authorize that,” John sneered, regarding Lucius with a dismissive gaze; he felt Ronon and Teyla tighten their hold on either side of him.

“But I am,” declared Elizabeth, stepping up beside Lucius with a cool expression. “Teyla…Ronon, please escort him to the Brig.” John could’ve sworn she gave him the faintest of smirks as he passed her. 

*

The long night passed in the Brig; John barely sleeping in the uncomfortable quarters, his mind restless as he thought of Carson and Elizabeth — what if Carson hadn’t been able to produce an antidote in time, and both of them were falling under the spell again?

He managed to catch some light sleep in the early hours of the morning, awakening again to sit and wait — he checked his watch, seeing it was 0930 — with the lack of windows, it could’ve been any time of day. Another hour passed, and he received an unwelcome visit from Lucius, his absolute distaste for the man intensifying as Lucius bragged about his six wives (“Sometimes all at once…”), and insisted that he and John would be the best of friends, once they’d had a little talk.

“Trust me Lucius — you try to get close to me and it’ll be the last thing you do,” John said quietly, leveling the man with a cool stare. Lucius had given him a jeering grin and departed, leaving John with a sinking feeling in his gut. He was sickened by the man, his mind filling with images of the women in Lucius’ village, forced to do Lucius’ bidding with no conscious thoughts of their own. His mind shifted to Elizabeth again and how deep she’d fallen under the spell. He felt almost nauseous as he reflected again on how far it could’ve gone, and the same fear passed through him again — waiting uselessly was always a special form of torture.

Two nerve wracking hours passed, then he heard footsteps; lifting his head, he watched the corridor with some apprehension. He nearly shook from the relief that flooded him as a figure in red approached, giving him a crooked smile and a quirk of her eyebrow.

“So, had some time to sit and think about what you’ve done?”

“Yeah, and I’d do it all again,” he joked with mock machismo as she input the code to open the door. “Carson have an antidote yet?”

“Yes, and he’s about to administer it — he’s brought Lucius to the infirmary under the guise of giving him the ATA therapy. We’ll be sending him to the Jumper Bay with Carson so he can “activate” a ship — you go wait there, and fly him to the mainland to wait for the antidote to take effect.” 

“Consider it done.” They quickened their pace, soon reaching the corridor leading to the control room where they split off, Elizabeth heading towards the infirmary while John raced up the stairs leading to the Jumper Bay.

He waited in the quiet hangar, leaning in shadow against one of the ships till he heard the approach of footsteps about half an hour later, Lucius’ nasal tone and Carson’s brogue echoing throughout the Bay. They entered his field of view, and he watched as they boarded one of the Jumpers, then made his move. 

“I’ll take it from here,” he said gruffly, approaching Lucius from behind the control chair and ripping off his headset. He forced Lucius out of the seat then sat down himself and activated the ship.

“What — you’re supposed to be in jail —“

“Got a little help from Dr. Weir,” John replied dismissively, waiting for the Bay doors to slide open above. “Sorry you won’t be meeting her for dinner tonight.”

“Dr. Weir — what —“ Lucius sputtered in confusion, turning frantic eyes to Carson. “Carson, you gotta help me —“

“Save your breath, your charm no longer works on me,” Carson said shortly, fixing Lucius with an even gaze before standing up from his seat. “I’ve created an antidote that neutralizes that herb of yours — took some meself. Elizabeth too.” He gave Lucius a wry smile, clapping a hand on his shoulder before moving to the back of the Jumper. “Enjoy your time on the mainland.”

“What will you do with me there?” Lucius asked in apprehension as Carson departed and the back hatch sealed off. John smirked to himself as he heard the worry in the man’s voice. 

“We can finally have that talk you’ve always wanted,” he said indifferently, keeping his eyes to the HUD as he lifted off. “That ATA therapy you got? It was actually Carson’s serum — you’ll be unable to affect me, and all that’ll happen is you’ll catch my cold. Don’t worry,” he added glancing back at Lucius, who had sunk slightly in defeat. “I’ll return you to your planet — _after_ the antidote has taken effect.”

“Oh,” Lucius simply replied in a defeated tone, turning his eyes to the blue expanse that stretched before them. John let himself sink back into his seat, relieved that this ordeal would soon be over.

*

Several hours later, John entered his quarters, relieved to have finally reached this point — Lucius gone, the rest of the crew back in their right minds. It had been an exhausting, frustrating couple of days, and despite the fact it was still early in the evening, he wanted nothing more than to climb into bed. The sky had lit up in a blazing sunset, like fire across the horizon, casting everything with a rich golden glow. He stared through the windows for a long moment, never failing to be transfixed by the beauty of this planet — the water below was like liquid gold. Turning away, he grabbed a t-shirt from his drawer and changed, also stripping down to his boxers before settling against the headboard of his bed.

He‘d just lay back to read and enjoy some calm for the first time in hours when he heard the _blip_ sound signaling someone at the door. Sighing slightly he pushed himself back up and strode over, passing his hand over the console.

His initial annoyance melted away as the sight of Elizabeth greeted him; she was holding a plate with what looked like a large, rather haphazard turkey sandwich.

“Hello,” she greeted a bit sheepishly, holding the plate higher with a raise of her eyebrows. “I brought you something…”

“Turkey sandwich?” he asked a bit skeptically, eyes flashing from the plate to her face. He took it from her slowly.

“Yup, I even toasted it a bit, thought it’d be more…gourmet,” she said with a smile that fell slightly as she noticed he was eyeing it. “What, you doubt my culinary skills?”

“What -- me? No, not at all,” he said quickly, cringing inwardly as the smallest hint of sarcasm slipped out. He gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “It -- looks really good. Um. did you want to come in…?”

“Yes,” she said immediately, moving past him; with her back turned he lifted the sandwich gingerly, mouthing, _“A bit!?”_ to himself as he inspected the rather charred bread she’d been trying to hide underneath.

“Look John,” she started and his eyes shot up again; he quickly turned to face her. She pressed on, not seeming to have noticed anything. “I — want to apologize again for what happened. I put your team in danger, and my behavior towards you was inexcusable…”

“It wasn't your fault,” he replied softly, hating that she was still blaming herself. “While we’re apologizing, I’m sorry for having to hit you with a stunner…”

“Also,” she cut in, seemingly not listening and looking more sheepish than ever, “I — wanted to apologize for saying that Lucius is more attractive than you. You know that’s absolutely not true…”

“Well, I knew you were definitely _way_ under his influence with that one,” he smirked. “You wanna sit down?” he added, indicating the chairs by his desk. She gratefully accepted a seat; he sat beside her, placing the plate in front of him and because she was expecting it, he took a large bite from the sandwich. He tried not to cringe as the bitter taste of charcoal filled his mouth.

He put it down again, nodding approvingly. “Very good,” he said, hoping it sounded convincing. “Well, this definitely makes up for you attacking me — not that I really minded getting into a wrestling match,” he added with a slightly wicked smirk.

She smirked back with a lift of the eyebrow. “So, not a completely bad day, huh?”

“Well you know, I try to focus on the positives. But Elizabeth,” he began, turning serious and holding her gaze. “Please don’t blame yourself. Beckett is responsible for bringing him through the gate without approval, and you had no way to fight his influence…”

“I suppose…though neither did Beckett,” she said quietly, eyes lowering as she stared at the desk pensively. “I know I wasn’t in control, but I should’ve sent him back through the gate while my mind was still clear.”

“None of us could’ve known,” he interjected gently.

“True. Still, I can’t help feeling ashamed…imagine how it’ll be for all those villagers. Imagine how badly things could’ve gotten here,” she added, horrified at the prospect..

John placed a hand over hers, stroking his thumb across reassuringly. “I’m just relieved we got rid of him before he could make you his seventh wife.” His voice held a hint of teasing but a sick feeling flooded him again as he remembered how far she’d fallen under Lucius’ sway.

She met his eyes, quirking the corner of her mouth. “Seven, huh?”

“Sometimes all at once,” he said sardonically, leaning in slightly with a serious expression.

Her eyes narrowed at him, a brow lifting as she smirked. “Hmm, wishing you’d taken some of that herb now?”

“Nah,” he said lightly, sitting up a bit and regarding her with darkening eyes. “there’s only one I want.” His voice had dropped to a husky murmur and he slowly leaned in again, closer to capture her lips…

“John,” she said a bit loudly, pulling away to sit up straighter, her eyes beginning to sparkle. “…did you just say what I think you did…?”

Confusion filled him for the briefest moment, then his eyes widened and he sat up again, biting his lower lip nervously as though trying to stifle the huge grin that threatened to break out.

“Hold…hold that thought,” he finally managed, hand coming up to relieve the nonexistent itch at the back of his head and he stood quickly, crossing the room to his nightstand, where he opened the drawer. Feeling a bit shaky he returned to her, clutching a small velvet box in his hand.

He sat back down beside her, pressing the box up against her palm and holding his hand there, fingers curling around hers. He hesitated a moment as he fought to keep his breathing steady, his eyes locking with hers in an unwavering gaze.

“Elizabeth…I love you more than anything, and everything we’ve been through in the past couple years…” he paused, throat going tight, and she squeezed his hand gently, tears in her eyes as she watched his also starting to shine. “…we’ve formed a connection most people spend a lifetime trying to find. I want to spend my life with you here on Atlantis — or wherever you go. Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she whispered breathlessly as soon as the words had left his mouth, her hands gripping both of his and tears spilling down her cheeks as she leaned forward and kissed him softly, but with intensity as she poured all of her love into it, her hand gently running though his hair. He responded with a fierceness that took her breath away, his eyes closed as tears welled up beneath.

She broke away to catch her breath, whispering “I love you,” against his lips before capturing them for another long kiss. She rested her forehead against his for a long moment after they separated again, tears still in both their eyes before she turned her attention to the box now in her hand. She carefully opened it, revealing the white-gold band studded with a fiery ruby, tiny diamonds glittering like so many stars in the swirling metal that surrounded it.

She slid it onto her finger, just marveling at it for a long moment and because mere words seemed inadequate, she reached up to kiss him again, harder this time; he let himself drown in the feeling of the moment, releasing her with a gentle bite to her lower lip. Their kisses became more urgent and he felt the fire start to course through him; slowly he stood, lifting her against him, beginning to trail biting kisses along her jawline as his hands slid up under her shirt.

“John,” she gasped, pulling away for a moment and lifting a teasing eyebrow. “…don’t you want to finish your…?”

 _“Forget_ the sandwich,” he growled, pushing her shirt up to the bra line, and she laughed softly as she helped to remove it, quickly unhooking her bra and letting it fall before capturing his lips again. They sank onto the bed; he broke apart for a moment to hurriedly remove his shirt as well, then let her down gently beneath him. They locked into another deep kiss as her hand drifted down to the front of his boxers, teasing him with a featherlight touch before gripping harder, then coming back up to pull them down over his hips. He lifted himself slightly, ridding himself of the shorts impatiently before turning his attention to her pants in turn, pulling them off along with her panties. His hand trailed down her body as he lay biting kisses along her neck and collarbone. She gasped as his fingers trailed along the inside of her thigh before traveling up to her clit, pressing and rolling against the sensitive bundle of nerves…she moaned and arched into him as he increased the pressure, before slipping two fingers inside of her.

 _“Fuck,”_ she gasped, thrusting against him and dropping her head back with a moan as he slipped in a third finger and twisted inside her. He kissed her hard, then pulled back and watched as he brought her closer to the edge of control, slipping out of her to trail his hand up her thigh again. He grinned slightly at her sound of protest, aligning his hips with hers and thrusting into her center.

She arched her head back, moaning as she brought her legs higher to clasp around his mid back; he increased to an aggressive pace at her growl of, _“Harder,”_ and she rocked into him, wrenching his head forward to meet his lips in a crushing kiss as her nails raked across his scalp. 

_“Oh, fuck…”_ The sound ripped from him as he released her lips with a bite; he locked eyes with her before dropping down for another brutal kiss, hips rocking into her harder as he felt her tighten around him. She rode her wave to its crest, moaning his name as she came hard and he followed her over, both gasping as they sank back against the bed.

He met her eyes again, kissing her softly this time as he brushed the hair from her face, feeling her chest rise and fall heavily against him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, his skin was like fire and she relished the heat, one hand lifting to thread her fingers through his hair, holding him close.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed as they separated, and he found himself staring into her eyes again, those depths of green that closely matched his own.

“So…” The faintest smirk crossed her face as she asked again, “not such a bad day after all…?” He laughed softly, then dropped his lips to hers again, caressing her side that was now bathed in faint moonlight.

*

Long after night had fallen John lay awake in peaceful stillness, a cool breeze against his skin and the sigh of a calm ocean below. Elizabeth had fallen asleep an hour ago, a rare feat for her and he smiled to himself at that thought; she was completely at peace.The diamonds on her finger glittered in the pale moonlight where her hand lay flat against his chest. He lifted a hand and laid it against hers, gently tracing her ring finger and, careful so as not to wake her, he shifted his head to lay a kiss against her hair. Seeming to sense his touch she shifted closer against him, her breath light against the crook of his neck.

He knew these moments were still to remain hidden; perhaps he was foolish for pursuing things this far, but then, he’d never been one to play by the books — and neither was she. He’d found his path here in this city, in another galaxy where the restrictions of Earth seemed a bit more distant, and he knew all too well how fleeting life could be. He couldn’t let this slip away.

John let the threads of thought sift through his mind and dissolve into stillness. No sense dwelling, and right now there was nothing that could trouble him anyway. He rested his chin against the top of her head and let his eyes close as he listened to the sound of the ocean and her breathing, in synchronicity — as though she was one with Atlantis, with the ocean and breeze, soothing him into slumber. 

_End_

*


End file.
